26 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY A bout 50 individuals, including some reportedly wearing white lab coats with the Beaumont/ Corewell insignia, marched to “protest for Gaza” on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 22, on a public sidewalk adjacent to Corewell Health’s Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak. The protest was organized by the National Arab American Medical Association-Michigan. The organization’s advance publicity urged participants to wear their “white coats” — typically worn by physi- cians and other health care providers. Included among the posters was “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, ” a slogan interpreted by some to be a call for the destruction of Israel. Hospital administrators learned about the planned protest shortly before it took place. According to Darryl Elmouchi, M.D., chief operating officer of Corewell Health and inter- im president, Corewell Health East, which includes Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, “We barely had time to notify law enforcement. Our security was there to monitor the situation, make sure it wasn’t onsite and ensure building security. Local law enforcement was called. “Many of the comments were disturbing. We didn’t condone it, ” he added. Some members of the Jewish com- munity saw or heard about the demonstration and were very troubled by it, even expressing concern about whether Jewish patients would be safe at the hospital, given the views of pro- testers. Beaumont has a large Jewish patient base as well as many Jewish staff physicians. An initial internal response from Corewell’s president and CEO Tina Freese Decker and Dr. Elmouchi struck some members of the Jewish community as insufficient: “Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your heartfelt concerns. We completely agree that our hospitals and care centers must always remain safe and respectful environments for all people to heal and seek the care they need. We want to reassure you that our entire team is committed to providing the very best care to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity or religious beliefs. “Please know that as a health care organiza- tion we do not allow unapproved gatherings or protests on our property. This event was organized by an outside group unrelated to Corewell Health and took place on a public sidewalk south of our hospital campus. As a result, this event fell under the jurisdiction of local officials and not our organization. Our focus is to ensure we provide people the best and safety health care. We will continue to address these issues, including discouraging the use of our logos and uniforms at unsanc- tioned events, to ensure we are a safe and welcoming place for all members of our com- munity to receive care. ” Dr. Elmouchi, who is Jewish, said the situation has caused him personal angst, commenting during a recent interview, “We are here for everyone in the community. We stand against any form of hate, antisemitism or Islamophobia. We have an obligation to take care of everyone, regardless of their back- ground. ” He added employees are discouraged from wearing items with hospital logos if participat- ing in off-site protests, and administration will consider developing a policy that clearly pro- hibits that. He said he is unaware of any recent antisemitic, anti-Muslim or anti-Arabic comments or incidents within the hospi- tal. However, a post by Dr. Majd Aburabia, a Corewell surgeon who heads the Karen Wilson Smithbauer Comprehensive Center for Breast Care at Corewell Dearborn, also aroused anger and dismay from those in the Jewish community. She posted online a song lyric, “Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day!” after the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks. According to Dr. Elmouchi, “We take this very seriously. The incident is being thoroughly investigated. ” However, no details were provided because it is a “personnel matter. ” On Oct. 25, a statement was sent to Corewell Health East employees; excerpts follow: “Dear Team, I’d like to thank those of you who joined our Corewell Health East Town Hall this week. For those unable to attend, I closed the event with a request — I simply asked everyone to do their best to assume positive intent in the workplace. The world is in a difficult place right now and things don’t seem to be getting any better or eas- ier. We were horrified by the attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 by Hamas. I also know we are struggling with the tragic loss of innocent lives in Gaza … “As a health care organization, we are here to take care of everyone in our community, regard- less of their race, ethnicity, religion or personal beliefs. All of our patients need to know they are safe and will be cared for when they walk through our doors. We are also a team. We must respect each other and recognize many are hurting but we all come to work to take care of people. Within Corewell Health, my hope is that we all recognize the goodness in each other and assume positive intent amongst those with whom we work … Divisive, hateful behavior and rhetoric have no place at Corewell Health. Our workplace must be respectful and inclusive. We do not allow protests on our property, nor do we condone any form of racism, hate speech or antisemitism. ” In reponse, Corewell Health East (Beaumont) leaders reject “hateful behavior and rhetoric,” stress its commitment to serving all patients. Pro-Gaza Protest Near Hospital Dr. Darryl Elmouchi SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER VIDEO TAKEN BY A PERSON DRIVING BY THE HOSPITAL. “White Coat Protest for Gaza” participants on the public sidewalk outside Corewell Health’s Royal Oak hospital. COREWELL HEALTH EAST